Will Compulsory Vaccination Increase Resistance Amongst Health And Social Care Workers?

Staff working in care homes in England will be required by law to have their COVID-19 vaccination, according to Government sources.

In addition, a consultation will be launched on making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for all NHS staff in England.

Making COVID vaccination compulsory means the 1.5million people working in social care will be required to have the jab within 16 weeks or potentially face losing their jobs.

Fears are that this could impact recruitment and retention in social care at a time when it is already suffering a severe staff shortage.

This decision is the result of a consultation initiated by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). It concluded mandatory vaccination would help protect the most vulnerable groups in society, of which care home residents are an obvious part.

Given those most vulnerable to COVID have already been vaccinated by and large, is there any moral or medical justification for mandating vaccination for care workers? Comment Like ❤️ Reply below.

Government ministers are reportedly concerned about the lower take-up of the vaccine amongst care workers.

However, the RCN, in their response to the consultation in question, warned that compulsory vaccinations could cause significant difficulties in a sector that has struggled for some time to recruit adequate numbers.

Nadra Ahmed, Chair of the National Care Association, in an interview with TalkRadio, expressed concern about recruitment retention issues resulting from the decision to make COVID vaccinations mandatory. She worried that increased staff shortages could lead to unsafe care conditions and would prefer the government concentrates its focus on the social care reform agenda.

Do you agree that the Government would be better off addressing the systemic weaknesses and critical difficulties of the social care system through delivering their social care reform package?

The RCN is on record as opposing compulsory vaccination, even for flu. Their website reads:

‘The RCN believes all health and social care staff should have the COVID-19 vaccination to help protect themselves, their patients and their friends and family.

However, we do not believe making vaccination compulsory is the right approach.’

If the soon to be launched consultation regarding mandatory vaccination for NHS workers comes down in favour, as is likely, would the RCN be right to maintain its current position?

A survey of nearly 2000 health and social care workers, led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in collaboration with the RCN, NHS Race and Health Observatory and Public Health England, showed those who felt under greater pressure from their employers to receive the vaccine were more likely to decline it.

The survey, conducted in April this year, found that staff feeling pressurised negatively affected their relationships at work and eroded trust. This erosion often aggravated vaccination concerns and led to a hardening of positions around declining the vaccine.

Do you think that the Government, by making vaccination mandatory, may actually defeat their own purpose? If sufficient numbers of care workers prefer to leave the industry rather than take the jab, how will the Government address what will then be an acute shortage of care workers?

Helen Donovan, RCN Professional Lead for Public Health, said: "We are proud to have worked on this important [survey]…[the] evidence shows there are better ways to improve vaccine uptake in staff who have concerns than mandating them. These include support from experienced peers who we know instil confidence in their colleagues.”

She added: “Being vaccine hesitant doesn’t mean people will never get the vaccine which is why supportive conversations are also key.”

To what extent do you think compulsory vaccination will reinforce peoples’ refusal to have the vaccine? And how effective will compulsion prove to be compared to a campaign of information and support?

Let us know what you think in the comments. Will this hardening of positions lead to an exodus of social care staff from the industry?

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